Though a few seasons of mismanagement and poor writing has made The Simpsons less relevant over here, they still seem to have enough pull in the European market to help Renault push some of its New Kangoos. We like the quirky looking MPV, so it doesn't offend us that Marge, Lisa, Bart, Homer and Maggie end up enjoying the features of the Kangoo. People gotta make change, even animated people, and most of them do it in other countries where no one will ever see. Last night there was an Arcade Fire song in a Super Bowl ad, so anything is possible. Enjoy some of the ads and the press release below.

Renault has released pictures of its new Kangoo, which is sort of the European version of the Honda …
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NEW RENAULT KANGOO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FEATURING THE SIMPSONS

• An original partnership imagined by Publicis Conseil: 20th Century Fox L&M and Renault
• An original ad campaign: the Simpsons leave the world of the series to explore the real world
• New Renault Kangoo, the ultimate family car, can take anything - even the ultimate family - the Simpsons

20th Century Fox L&M, Renault and Publicis signed an agreement on September 19, 2007 on using the characters from "The Simpsons" to promote New Renault Kangoo. This is the first time Renault has worked with Fox L&M, one of the leading licensing and merchandising companies globally.

The tone of the campaign is thoroughly humorous, with the Simpsons subjecting New Renault Kangoo to a real "torture test" to highlight the car's feature qualities. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and grandfather Abraham Simpson leave Springfield and appear in the "real" world. They put New Kangoo through its paces, testing the vehicle's main qualities to the hilt. The folding rear bench, comfortable seats and ingenious storage bins are all put to serious use by the family.

Even more practical and comfortable, New Renault Kangoo embodies the best in family cars. Pairing it with the irreverent Simpsons brand shows Renault's desire to adopt a unique, offbeat tone while remaining faithful to its core values: human, reliable and enthusiastic.

The international Simpsons/New Renault Kangoo advertising campaign will be aired in 29 countries, starting in France on February 9.